Fastening or holding something in place with a pin, or romantically giving someone a pin or badge as a sign of commitment (especially in older traditions).
From Old English 'pinn' (a fastener), related to Latin 'pinna' (feather, wing). The romantic sense developed in 20th-century American college culture as a pre-engagement gesture.
In the 1950s, boys would give their fraternity pins to girls they were dating—it was like the original 'Facebook official'—and breaking it off meant asking for the pin back, which was considered a devastating public rejection!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.